Monday, 20 October 2008

Day 1 at Sherkston Shores

Here a sunset photo from last night. It was quite pretty.

Often by the time I sit down to write the journal I've forgotten what's happened during the day. Usually it's not much that's interesting but yesterday I forgot that just as we were leaving our site at Double M RV Park in Lindsay we heard a chirp chirp in the cedar trees beside us. I looked up and there was a beautiful red cardinal. Now, when my Mom was alive she had all kinds of cardinal stuff that she had bought or people had given her so we say that when my Mom passed away in 2002 she came back as a cardinal and she was there to say good-bye to us and wish us well on the next leg of our journey. I think it's a nice thought.

It was much warmer this morning at 11C (52F) but it was windy so I bundled up as I knew it would be cool down by Lake Erie. There is a shortcut pathway that we took last year to get to the water but when I got to the top of the hill there was all kinds of brush across the path. Not to worry, I attempted to go around it but instead fell around it coming down on my right knee on the ground and on my right arm. I got a little muddy but got around the brush. I guess next time I'll take the road.

My first sight of the lake this morning

Lake and beach photos

Park models on the bluff overlooking Lake Erie

Anyway I got down to the lake and walked on the sand for a bit, did my exercises down there. The area by the lake has all kinds of park models on the bluff above but they have right of ways every so often so that you can get down to the beach. It's so nice having something different to see and different places to walk. Even though we've been here before it was only once so I don't know the place that well. Guess I'll get to know it over the next week.

I also got the bed changed and the laundry ready to go to the laundromat. There is one here at the park in the little mall. I didn't like it much last year but it's convenient so decided to try it again. There are some laundromats (and believe me I've seen a lot) that think of their customers, others are just there to collect their money or provide a 'service' for the people who use it.

Take for example the one in Carleton Place, always clean, three couches to sit on while waiting, all sorts of magazines to read, preventive maintenance being done. This one is probably the best laundromat outside of a campground. The worst one as I recall was in Rockport, TX. We were staying at Goose Island State Park so had to go into town for laundry. There was a bum sleeping on one of the folding tables. A lot of the machine tops had rusted off. All the chairs (plastic lawn chairs) were broken and dirty. Not a pleasant experience at all.

The one here at Sherkston was terrible, dark, floors needed painting, no washroom and no place to sit. So I set out to find another one that I had seen last year. I couldn't find it on the internet but had a good idea where it was. This pretty little laundromat is in the town of Ridgeway and is called 'The Laundry Basket'. It is filled with green and flowering plants, clean machines, huge tables for folding with a place built into the tables for hanging clothes, benches for sitting and lots of reading material and a clean washroom.

Once the laundry was over with and put away, I set out for a long walk around the park. This is a HUGE park, most of it being park models. There is the odd RV tucked away. I walked in an area that I hadn't seen before today. I started out by walking around the end of the quarry and took a photo across the quarry from the RV park then I walked toward the lake. There were all kinds of people down at the lake kite surfing. I watched them for a while and looked down when I felt something watching me. It was a yellow lab and he had dropped a tennis ball at my feet. So I threw the ball for the dogs, there were 2 yellow labs and a german shepherd. The yellow lab kept bringing it back and dropping it at my feet. When I got back I was tired so lay down to read a bit and have a nap.

Park models

Looking across the quarry at the RV park

The quarry beach

Kite surfing

Two of my beach buddies

RV park photos

When I got up Gordon had gone out with his camera as well so I expect if there is a sunset, he'll have some photos.

It's been mostly cloudy here today but very, very windy. It did get to about 16C (60F) and the wind was quite warm so it was enjoyable being out and about today.